


A Thief's Proposal

by luucarii



Series: Secondary Jobs [1]
Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Dancing Lessons, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-15 17:37:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15418101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luucarii/pseuds/luucarii
Summary: “I help you scout out information about the next marked man in Nobelcourt and you…teach me how to dance.”“This is quite unexpected.”--In which Therion makes a deal with Primrose, one he didn't expect to be so difficult.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place before Therion's Chapter 2 and Primrose's Chapter 3

“Buy you a drink?”

 

With a thin smile curling her lips, Primrose chuckled, “you know you never need to ask.”

 

At the sight of a narrowed look, the bartender nodded and began to fix together two drinks. One for a dancer and one for a thief.

 

Despite the late hour, the bar was still somewhat lively. Granted in Sunshade, there was rarely a moment when the bar _wasn’t_ lively. Most of the dancers had gone home for the night but the drunken men had gotten their fill of entertainment from Primrose who had decided to do a little performance (for a fee of course, that money would serve great in buying new equipment for the journey ahead). Having just returned to Sunshade from Stillsnow, the group of eight were in the midst of taking a well deserved rest after having dealt with Rufus, one of the three men marked with the crow that Primrose was searching desperately for. While the rest of their allies slumbered away in the nearby inn, Primrose found herself sitting alone in the bar before the typically quiet Therion asked to join her.

 

“Now, my guess is you have something to ask me you don’t want the others to hear?” Primrose leaned against the table and blinked curiously at the thief sitting across from her, “you wouldn’t have waited so late into the night if you didn’t.”

 

Therion mused a chuckle, “keen as ever. I have a proposal.”

 

“This proposal being…?”

 

“I help you scout out information about the next marked man in Nobelcourt and you…teach me how to dance.”

 

Primrose brought a hand to her mouth to muffle her laughter and the eye-roll Therion shot her nearly brought her laugh to a cackle. By the time she had calmed down, two drinks had appeared before the two. She took a generous sip and dragged her eyes up to meet Therion.

 

“This is quite unexpected.”

 

Therion sighed, adjusting the scarf around his neck, “look, we both have business in Nobelcourt. It’s simpler for both of us if we make the deal.”

 

Primrose narrowed her eyes and her gaze sharpened, “you know I’m quite capable of getting the information myself, thank you very much. And what’s your sudden interest in dancing?”

 

The thief took a second to glance at the front door and looked back to Primrose with an irritated huff. He expected it wouldn’t go easy.

 

“I’m not telling you to teach me your ‘ways of seduction,’ gods no.” He took a small sip of his drink, “you’re just more agile in battle, I want to learn to help myself out.”

 

“And I wonder the balls you had to grow to ask me.” Primrose giggled, “you know it’s not something you can learn overnight.”

 

“Make it so it is then, and I’ll double the speed of the info I get for you.” Therion wasn’t used to bargaining like this but he could assure himself, getting the information in less than a day would be no issue.

 

“I can’t help you if you have no rhythm.” Primrose downed the rest of her drink and licked the remnants off her lips, “that _is_ the most important part of dancing after all.”

 

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Therion outstretched his hand and blinked slowly at the woman in front of him, “do we have a deal?”

 

Primrose sighed, lips curling into a grin as she shook the thief’s hand, “alright. But you’re underestimating the work I put in.”

 

“How’s tonight for our first lesson?” Therion rummaged through his pockets and left a bit of money on the table. As he stood, his hands found their way into his pockets and he looked down at Primrose who chuckled lightly to herself, hands forming a bridge under her chin.

 

“You’re _really_ underestimating my line of work, Therion.”


	2. Chapter 2

“You’re too stiff Therion, loosen up.”

 

Therion let out a growl and bit back a snappy comment. The dancing had been harder than he expected. Primrose had decided to go “easy” on him and start with the Lion Dance, a short twirl and flick of the arm which was meant to pass on strength increasing magic to an ally. The magic part wasn’t too hard to get used to. Therion was already well known among his allies for his effective magic that decreased the enemies physical strength and defense and it took a simple means of reversing that magic to master the first part of the Lion Dance.

 

The second part of mastering the Lion Dance seemed utterly impossible.

 

Despite Primrose’s reassurances that it was just a spin and outstretch of his hand, the means of doing so always came out “too stiff” or “without feeling.” With the sun already beginning to peek out from above the horizon, Therion grumbled to himself for believing he could master dancing in a night.

 

“Maybe we should call it a night.” Primrose crossed her arms, “you know Alfyn’s an early riser, he’ll catch us out here.”

 

“No. Come on, I can at least get this down.” He hissed and inhaled slowly. With an exhale, he settled into position, relaxing his arms at his side. Primrose began to tap her foot, mimicking the beat he had been using to follow with his earlier attempts at the dance. With an outward step, Therion twirled on his heel and before he could make the full turn, his legs wobbled and he fell to the floor with a grunt.

 

“You’re too stubborn for your own good, you know.” Primrose teased, leaning down to outstretch a hand for him to take, “I told you it wouldn’t happen overnight.”

 

“Shut up.” Therion ignored the hand and leaped to his feet, brushing off the dirt on his clothes. He heaved a sigh and Primrose couldn’t help but giggle. She stepped in front of him and wiped a small pile of dirt off his shoulder, looking up at him with an almost harsh seriousness in her eyes. He raised an eyebrow when Primrose motioned with her finger to turn around. With a reluctant eye-roll, Therion obliged and stiffened slightly. As a thief, Therion was typically used to being close to people, feeling around for whatever he could steal before his victim could notice. With Primrose’s hands lightly dragging themselves over his arms, he couldn’t help but feel a bit wary.

 

“Relax.” She murmured softly and despite their height difference, he could feel her voice tickling his ear, “you won’t get anywhere until you do.”

 

“Is this your attempt to seduce me? Sorry sweetheart, I’m not interested.” Therion joked with a chuckle and Primrose laughed with him.

 

“Mm, sorry. Stubborn thieves aren’t my type.”

 

Therion let a chuckle rumble in his throat and he let himself relax, arms going somewhat limp. He shut his eyes and Primrose began to hum behind him. A song Therion had heard her hum on more than a few occasions. It was the song that typical played when she danced in Sunshade’s tavern. She stepped back and began to tap her feet on beat with her humming. Therion exhaled and outstretched one leg, dragging the rest of his body in as he prepared for the turn. With a quick inhale, he twirled, the wind rushing past his face quickly before he settled in front of Primrose, outstretching his hand. Silently to himself, he worked on channeling the magic through the edges of his fingers and when he heard Primrose’s applause, he assumed he had finally managed to do it right.

 

“Good. Now keep practicing until you can do it without my tapping.” Primrose gave an innocent smile and Therion groaned, narrowing his eyes at the dancer.

 

“You’re kidding me.”

 

“And I have so many dances left to teach you.” She chuckled to herself, performing the Lion Dance and landing her twirl right in front of him. With a narrowed blink of her eyes, Primrose’s lips curled into a smirk, “make sure you hold up your end of the bargain Therion, okay?”

 

Biting back a growl, Therion hated himself for making the proposal in the first place.


	3. Chapter 3

Behind the closed doors of Primrose’s room in Nobelcourt’s inn was Therion, quietly mumbling to himself while he worked on perfecting the final dance Primrose had taught him, Bewildering Grace. Learning how to dance didn’t come overnight but in the span of several lessons in many inns on the journey to Nobelcourt. Primrose would be the first to admit that he adapted quickly. After learning the Lion Dance, many of the dances after that came to him swiftly with very few trips and stumbles. The only one that he had particular difficulty with would be the Panther Dance. There were multiple leaps and turns that often ended with Therion knocking his head against the wall or tripping over his own two feet.

 

But with their agreement nearly coming to an end, both Therion and Primrose could look proudly on what came of it. There was no doubt Therion had grown swifter in combat and had an added allure to his attacks. His wielding of the dagger had grown stronger as well as his speed for stealing. Truly, the dancing had done more than provide mild entertainment for Primrose and magical enhancements to their allies.

 

After finishing the final spin in Bewildering Grace, Therion took a second to catch his breath, throwing himself onto Primrose’s bed and staring up at the ceiling. His gaze fell toward the door, wondering where the hell the girl had wondered off to. Midway through their practice, Primrose had announced that she had something waiting for her and she needed to go pick it up. What _it_ was, Therion had absolutely no clue.

 

“Therion, I’m back.” There was a teasing giggle behind the door and Therion sat up, leaning against the bed frame and raising an eyebrow. The door opened slowly and in walked Primrose, a permanent grin on her face. In her hand she carried a hanger with what appeared to be a dancing garb. It was purple and had the resemblance of Primrose’s usual dancer outfit.

 

“What, trying out a new color?”

 

Primrose narrowed her eyes and giggle, “no, this is for you Therion.”

 

_“What?_ ” He slid out of bed and snatched the hanger from her, holding the outfit under the light and eyeing it. “No way in hell you’re getting me to wear that.”

 

“Too bad Therion. You can’t be a real dancer without it.” Primrose held her hands behind her back and shrugged her shoulders.

 

“You’re kidding me.”

 

“Besides it being for my, and everyone else’s, amusement, it help’s control the magic, specifically the dark magic. Night Ode is extremely powerful and without the right means of controlling it, it could easily do more harm than good.” She raised her finger educationally and then let out a sigh, “I learned the hard way.”

 

Therion held the outfit against his chest and let out an audible growl. “Are you sure?”

 

“Positive.”

 

Therion turned and threw the hanger onto the bed, hands reaching down to pull his shirt over his head. Primrose hummed curiously but respectfully dipped out of the room once he was fiddling with his pants. The outfit was a two-piece with what seemed to be a pair of loose fitting purple trousers with outlines of gold thread weaved in-between in a pattern. The top was a see-through piece of fabric (Therion couldn’t bring himself to call it a shirt) that covered from beneath his collarbone to the beginning of his stomach. Separately were two sleeves that slid on his arms and thankfully they seemed to be the loosest part of the whole outfit.

 

“Where did you even get this?” Therion grumbled as he stared uncomfortably at himself in the mirror. It made him cringe how much skin he was showing. Littered across his toned stomach were scars from his brief time in prison and a few past thieving outings with Darius, some of them fresher from his recent battle with Heathcote.

 

Primrose poked her head in and once she saw that he was dressed, she invited herself in and let out a whistle. “I had Arianna make it for me. She sews in her free time.”

 

“What, you commissioned _this_ when we were back in Stillsnow?”

 

“Maybe.” Primrose shrugged her shoulders, walking around Therion and eyeing the outfit. She stopped to adjust the wrist cuffs of the sleeves and seemed to smile at how he looked.

 

“You were expecting me to ask you to teach me, weren’t you?” Therion let out a hiss and reached over for his scarf. If he couldn’t wear his usual thieving outfit in combat, he could at least wear his scarf and be secure in knowing his face would be somewhat hidden.

 

“Don’t worry too much about the details Therion, okay?” Primrose grinned and crossed her arms, “with this comes the end of our deal.”

 

“I’ll get you the information tomorrow. I’ll be back before noon.” Therion sighed and ran a finger through his hair, bundling up his clothes and throwing them over his shoulder.

 

“Perfect.” Primrose outstretched her hand and Therion took it without a smile, “pleasure doing business with you. It was fun.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” He caught her eyes wondering to his stomach and he half expected her to ask about the scars. When her eyes dragged to meet his and she didn’t open her mouth, he scoffed and made his way toward the door.

 

“Good night Therion.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, this was a fun mini write. I figured I'd find someway to squeeze in the part about having to wear the outfit since the Traveler's sprites change in battle to their secondary job and I dunno I always imagined Therion hating to have to wear the dancer garb in battle just because he's embarrassed haha.
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading and hopefully the next part of this series will be coming soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Hell yes, first Octopath fic and I'm starting off with my attempt of a mini series. God help me.
> 
> But Dancer!Therion is incredible. That evasion, utterly beautiful.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
